Pain and heaviness in the legs: causes and treatment methods

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

According to medical statistics, a third of the world's population complains of pain and heaviness in the legs. More than half of these people are of the fair sex. These symptoms occur regardless of the degree of daily physical activity, lifestyle, age and occupation.

Usually, unpleasant sensations in the legs arise due to banal fatigue. But it also happens that they are a sign of a serious illness. Before starting treatment, you need to visit a qualified doctor to determine an accurate diagnosis.

Pain and heaviness in the legs: causes of discomfort in the calves

If pain and heaviness in the calves appear almost every day in the evening, it is safe to say that overwork is the cause of this symptom. In this state, the energy reserves in the human body are depleted, and poisonous metabolic products accumulate in the muscles. Fatigue itself is not harmful to health. If you give your muscles a good rest, there will be no trace of discomfort and heaviness in the calves.

There are other reasons that cause pain and heaviness in the legs:

• strong static loads (at risk are hairdressers, teachers, surgeons who are in a standing position for a long time);
• lack of physical activity, resulting in venous stasis;
• excess weight, which leads to increased stress on the heart, an increase in interstitial fluid and venous stasis in the legs;
• sexual predisposition (more often women than men suffer from pain and heaviness in the legs, which is associated with pregnancy, wearing high-heeled shoes, as well as hormonal background).

If the pain in the legs does not go away for a very long time, the following problems may be the cause of these symptoms:

• vascular diseases of the legs;
• thrombophlebitis (this disease is characterized by severe pain in the calves and burning sensation under the skin);
• atherosclerosis of the vessels (at the initial stage of the disease, heaviness in the legs is felt, then compressive pains appear, which intensify during walking);
• varicose veins (manifested by heaviness and pain in the legs);
• joint diseases (pain in the knee and ankle joints may indicate arthrosis, arthritis or gout);
• spine diseases;
• flat feet and heel spur;
• obesity, myalgia and ulcerative colitis.

Pain and heaviness in the legs can appear after various injuries, dislocations, muscle ruptures, sprains or ligament fractures. There can be many reasons for these symptoms. To identify the source of the problem, you need to undergo a comprehensive medical examination.

Troxevasin gel: effective treatment of pain and heaviness in the legs

The tactics for treating heaviness and pain in the legs will depend on the cause of their occurrence. To eliminate discomfort in the lower extremities, doctors often prescribe drugs from the venotonic group.

To date, Troxevasin gel has proven itself well, which reduces pain after exercise, relieves fatigue in the legs and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. The drug has a decongestant, venotonic and antioxidant effect. Treatment with Troxevasin should not be carried out in case of hypersensitivity to the substances that make up the composition, as well as during pregnancy.

Gel Troxevasin is applied to the legs with massaging movements in the morning and evening. If after a week of regular use, the severity of the symptoms of the disease does not decrease, you should consult a doctor to adjust the treatment tactics.

Treatment of pain and heaviness in the legs with folk remedies

There are many folk remedies that can relieve heaviness and pain in your legs. One of them is an essential oil balm. To prepare it, take thirty milliliters of vegetable oil or medical gel, to which add eight drops of cypress, myrtle, eucalyptus, rosewood, lavender, lemon, mint and tea tree essential oils.

Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly with a stick and place in a dark bottle, adding another twenty milliliters of medical gel or vegetable oil. Close the container tightly and leave the balm for three days. Apply the balm morning and evening to your calves. After three weeks of regular use of this remedy, you need to take a seven-day break.

For pain and heaviness in the legs, treatment with mint balm is used, which can be used both at home and at work. To make it, mix one teaspoon of grape seed oil with three drops of lavender, tea tree and peppermint essential oils. Bring the volume of the solution with medical gel to twenty milliliters and place in a dark glass bottle. Insist the balm in a dark place for three days. You need to use the medicine in small portions, applying from the foot to the thigh.

An ice compress will help bring your legs back into shape. Massage your feet with ice cubes wrapped in a small piece of cloth.

If flat feet are the cause of heaviness in the legs, massage will help.

To perform this procedure, lubricate your feet with menthol or horse chestnut based foot fatigue cream and knead your feet with your hands, gradually moving up to the calves.

You can also massage your feet thoroughly with a hard terry towel for five minutes.

However, this treatment is not suitable for patients with varicose veins.

A herbal bath will help relieve fatigue in the legs. To prepare it, combine the leaves of nettle, birch and burdock. Brew three tablespoons of the collection with one liter of boiling water and leave under the lid for thirty minutes. Then strain the infusion and add to a bowl with one liter of warm water. Soak your feet in the bath for ten to fifteen minutes.

A citrus bath has a wonderful invigorating property. Boil one glass of chopped orange peel, lemon and grapefruit in one liter of boiling water for several minutes. Pour the cooled broth into a basin and take a bath for twenty-five minutes.

Algal wraps will help relieve discomfort in the legs. To perform the procedure, take one hundred grams of kelp and fill it with cool water for half an hour. Cover the legs up to the knees with soft seaweed and wrap the top with cling film. After an hour, rinse your feet with warm water.

Using folk remedies, you can quickly and effectively get rid of the feeling of fatigue and pain in the legs.

How to maintain the beauty and health of your feet?

Prevention of foot diseases is a comprehensive approach.

First of all, you need to change your lifestyle, following these rules:

• give up bad habits;
• pay due attention to healthy eating, limit the intake of fatty foods;
• consume one and a half liters of water per day;
• walk regularly in the fresh air;
• exercise;
• walk, swim and bike;
• observe the mode of work and rest (chronic lack of sleep harms blood vessels);
• pour cool water on your feet daily;
• give up high-heeled shoes;
• avoid crossing your legs when sitting;
• do not wear tight clothing that squeezes your legs;
• consume vitamins K, C and P.

Follow preventive measures and your legs will always be in shape. Remember that any disease is easier to prevent than to cure.

Therefore, at the first symptoms of varicose veins, contact a medical institution as soon as possible. Take care of yourself and be healthy!